On the Death of MARTA CEO and Friend to IBTTA, Jeffrey A. Parker

Hearing the unimaginable news of the passing of Jeff Parker on Friday, January 14th was an experience that I know, like many others who knew him, I will never forget. As the news spread on Saturday, the entire day was filled with a deep sadness for this tremendous loss to his wife, their two daughters, his parents and loved ones and his MARTA family. Mixed with that was feeling the heavy weight of the mantle of leadership as a MARTA board member and Transit Partner as I notified my board, colleagues, and staff of news I never thought I would ever have to share.
 
My connection to Jeff began with IBTTA. I first met Jeff years before he took the helm at MARTA. Jeff served as vice president at IBTTA-member HNTB and was an active participant at numerous IBTTA events and an avid supporter of our organization. Moreover, Jeff and I have been colleagues, in both the transit and tolling sectors. We have worked, laughed, exchanged friendly fire, and achieved many successes together. He was a man that I both admired and respected. Hearing of his death was a shock, but those feelings reached greater depths upon learning the circumstances of how he was taken from us, his family and from others that loved him. Suicide ripples out in much different ways than other deaths. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported last September that more than 50% of Americans say that they have been personally impacted by suicide and that every 11 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies by suicide, and suicide rates have been on the rise over the last two decades. The risk of suicide has also been heightened during this pandemic, with reports of an increasing number of people experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. 

We often have preconceived and false perceptions when it comes to who is at risk for suicide. When we see someone in Jeff’s position, many times we assume that they are exempt from internal suffering because externally, on the surface, all seems well. We are now more acutely and painfully aware that this is a dangerous assumption. Leaders and managers, because they are more accustomed to solving problems for their organizations and employees, are more likely to avoid identifying that they have their own struggles. In fact, in an article published by Lisa Bertagnoli, entitled, “Mental Health and the C-Suite, Who’s at Risk?” she states that many executives, “don’t seek treatment for overwhelming life struggles or depression. When they don’t, the consequences can be grave.” The reason they often can’t or won’t turn to others for help is out of pride and a concern for privacy. Instead, they suffer in silence.

Understanding this, doesn’t make processing Jeff’s death any easier. However, doing our part to ensure that this loss gives us greater purpose is a good start to seeing the light at the end of this tunnel. That greater purpose is promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Mental health issues are just that— health issues. Some mental health issues, like physical health issues, are more serious than others. They can be treated, but just because they can be treated doesn’t mean they always are. We frequently don’t see people struggling with mental health problems and because of this, the problem wins. We need to approach issues that impact our mental health just like we would any disease that can impact our body— with diagnosis and treatment. Many physicians will tell you that a person’s mental health has a significant impact on their physical health. There’s no stigma when someone is diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, or even COVID-19 and it should be the same with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness. 

When we reflect on Jeff’s life, let us treat his legacy with care as we would for anyone that we knew who had been taken from us too soon by any other physical means. Jeff did many great things for Atlanta, for our organization and for our industry, and will always be remembered for them. When Jeff first took the helm at MARTA, he spoke of a $100-billion dollar moonshot of funding to propel transit forward. He called it a moonshot because he knew it was an extremely ambitious goal that we may or may not realize; but more importantly he believed it was a goal, “that we can collectively embrace and work towards.” If he dared to dream of us collectively embracing an audacious goal to help the mobility of the citizens we serve, why can’t we take a page from his book and collectively embrace and work towards achieving a goal that will keep our friends and loved ones healthy, safe, and able to get the support that they need? I believe that eradicating suicide and the stigma attached to discussing and addressing mental health issues is a moonshot truly worthy of our friend and colleague Jeffrey A. Parker. I also believe that the toll is too high of a price for us to pay if we do not try. 

If you’re reading this, and perhaps feeling troubled or a sense of despair, know that you are not alone. The greatest service that IBTTA can provide is community, and that community extends beyond the walls of our offices and our professional lives. Reach out. Talk to someone you know and don’t bottle things up. If you or someone you know needs help right away, is struggling with their mental health, is in crisis or simply need someone to talk to, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The National Institute of Mental Health also maintains a list of resources that anyone can use to get help right away. Please share these messages with others too. Together, we can all help prevent suicide from taking the people we care about away from us far too soon. 

Please also consider making a donation to the Jeffrey Parker Memorial Fund at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Georgia Chapter.

Christopher Tomlinson is Executive Director at State Road and Tollway Authority, Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. He has been active in IBTTA for many years and served as IBTTA President in 2019. 

Editor’s note: In its article reporting the death of Jeffrey Parker, CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and friend of IBTTA, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explained their decision to report on the manner of Jeff’s passing as follows: “Only on rare occasion does the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report death by suicide,” the author reports. “The newspaper will typically respect the privacy of grieving families in such a circumstance. But in this case, a well-known public figure’s family is sharing the news with the public as a way to counter the stigma attached to suicide. The newspaper is honoring that request.” It is in this same vein and spirit that we have shared this article.